Tunnel hull boats are designed to trap air beneath the boat hull as the boat moves through the water. The air underneath the boat hull is compressed by the forward motion of the boat, lifting the boat above the boat's natural buoyancy water line. The hull of the raised boat has less surface area contacting the water and thus encounters less resistance to movement. A tunnel hull boat can thereby attain higher speeds than a V-bottom hull boat of comparable size and power.
Tunnel hull boats have traditionally sacrificed turning stability for higher speed performance. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the nautical arts, when a boat turns the stern of the boat tends to continue in its initial preturn direction. The effect is that of the stern skidding in a direction opposite that of the desired turn. Minimizing the amount of hull below the water line, as is done in a tunnel hull boat to attain high speeds, decreases the ability of the hull to counteract skidding of the stern. Alignment of the hull in a new, desired direction is at best delayed by the skidding action. In the extreme situation, the unchecked skidding of the stern can cause the boat to spin out of control.
A high performance hull that incorporated the speed performance advantages of a tunnel hull design without sacrificing turning stability would be a decided advantage.